Telescopes are important and useful laboratory equipment for studying distant objects. This important astronomical tool makes use of lenses or mirrors to enlarge images of distant objects. Astronomers use telescopes to study planets and stars.

Types of Telescopes
Telescopes are broadly be categorized into the following:
Optical telescopes : These telescopes can be further classified into:

• Galilean Refracting Telescopes or Dioptrics: These telescopes make use of refractive properties of light, and are made of lenses. These equipment can be used for both astronomical and terrestrial viewing.
• Newtonian Reflecting Telescopes or Catoptrics: These telescopes use the reflective properties of light, by using a concave parabolic primary mirror to collect and focus incoming light onto a flat secondary mirror. The mirror in turn reflects the image to an opening at the side of the main tube and into the eyepiece.
• Catadioptrics Telescopes: These telescopes make use of a combination of mirrors and lenses to fold the optics and form an image.

Radio Telescopes: These telescopes have radio antennae that are often parabolic shaped. They synthesize large virtual apertures.

Use of Telescopes
Telescopes are widely used in different fields including:

• Astronomy
• Educational Lab Equipment
• Planetorium
• Scientific Research